Yeah, you. The dipstick at the gas station this morning...
You know the signs that were hanging at the pumps telling you not to smoke or use your cell phone?
That does not mean to use your cell phone with Bluetooth so it seems as if you are yelling at yourself. It means do not use your phone near the pump. Leave it in the car so you don't burn your car up.
And no smoking means just that. NO SMOKING. It certainly doesn't mean to hang your still burning ciggy on your side mirror while you fill your tank.
If someone were to approach you regarding your behavior I have no doubt you would argue that you were not ACTIVELY smoking and that your celly was in your POCKET so you were not acting in an unsafe or irresponsible manner, thus absolving yourself of any responsibility should the Quik Stop suddenly burst into flames.
The problem with folks like you, idiot, is you want to do whatever you feel like doing, and if you are somehow injured by your own actions you say that is your own problem. Well, guess what Sparky.
Perhaps I shouldn't use Sparky since we are, after all, talking of gas stations...
Anyway...
The rules are not in place just for your safety. They are also to protect others from people such as yourself.
I suppose I could look at it another way. Your obvious disdain for the rules created a situation that was dangerous for yourself and others.
Maybe I should just 5150 you...
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15 comments:
For what it's worth, the cell phone rules were created out of a false assumption that cell phones cause/contribute to fires at gas stations. Speaking as a firefighter with 20 years in, and having worked at a gas station in a past life, I can confirm unequivocally that they don't have any effect. Of course, this isn't an excuse to disregard the rules, but just so you know, the assertion that cell phones are dangerous at gas stations is total and complete BS.
Wow. He really thought a lit cigarette within ten yards of a fuel pump was okay? Or an acceptable risk that he's willing to take?
To be honest, I wasn't aware that cell phones were that much of a fire hazard, I thought it was more of a distraction/discourtesy issue. I've never received an electrical shock from one or seen it happen to anyone else - it doesn't seem like there's much spark producing power there unless you manage to douse it with fuel. (Which this idiot could probably accomplish, but I think I'd be more worried about sparks from static electricity in clothing.)
I've heard of entire gas stations blowing up in a fireball nor any cases of the cell phone being responsible for the fire, but there are quite a few rare cases out there where people even got killed after the fumes got ignited by a cigarette or a static spark.
"The rules are not in place just for your safety. They are also to protect others from people such as yourself."
Is that how you also feel about your department's 5722 rules regarding officer conduct and comply with every single one at all times? :)
Couldn't you write him a ticket for that? I mean, it's gotta be a violation of *some* statute to smoke at a pump. If nothing else, call it felonious stupidity.
I couldn't bring up the link to 5150 but I'm imaging it has to do with crazies and padded cells.
I agree, anyone doing something that has a serious risk of endangering other people should not be tolerated. Open flames while pumping gas is just a recipe for disaster.
However, cell phones have never been proven to ever cause a gas station fire. Not once. Never.
http://www.snopes.com/autos/hazards/gasvapor.asp
http://www.snopes.com/autos/hazards/gasvapor.asp
Your kidding right? Your actually whining about someone talking on the phone while pumping gas? This must be the stupidest rule ive ever heard of, and it must be a very american thing. No open flames near the gaspumps i can get (Even though its pretty much perfectly safe unless the pumps are amazingly outdated, and atleast in Sweden that wouldnt be legal to operate), but i doubt a cellphone could ever cause any kind of serious injury to anyone. It sure isnt illegal anywhere else then the US atleast!
So basically, what your saying is that your raging over a non-issue, and probably causing problems for someone who pretty much did nothing wrong. If the problem with operating phones near a pump is that it can somehow cause a fire, having that same phone in your pocket while you use it removes that problem completly. Ergo, your a stickler for rules that dont make sense, and should never have been implemented.
Nope. Not "raging". Venting. And not "causing problems" for anyone.
It's nice how folks focus on the cell phone they think they are disproving, and completely ignore the LIT CIGARETTE!
Just curious if anyone READS my blog anymore, or if folks such as Cleanville and SunTzu just ANALYZE it to find stuff they disagree with.
JAY911,
Thank you for pointing that out in the manner you did, and without questioning my upbringing. Others here could stand to learn a thing or ten from you.
I didn't agree or disagree with what you did. I just posted a link with some relevant info. If you want my comments on what I agree with or disagree with in this post, just ask (nicely) and I will let you know.
Well, Cleanville, I wasn't referring only to this post, as you have made some comments in other recent posts.
So, because you posted something that was right (Smoking near a petrol station is a fucking stupid thing to do), we should ignore the fact that you said something incredibly stupid (Having a cellphone in your pocket while filling up will cause your car to burn up)? Sorry, that doesnt fly.
If your blog didnt entertain me, i hardly would read it. I dont have an axe to grind with US law enforcement (Considering im not even from the US, that would be a stretch :P), but you *are* an officer of the law, and as long as you identify yourself as one your will be scrutinized as one. I think this is one of the problems with all the "hate" going on with the police blogs, (excepting retards who just want to rage at cops cus they got pulled over and the like. Haters gonna hate!) that they're used by cops to went some of their "less politically correct sentiments", which people react to.
"The rules are not in place just for your safety. They are also to protect others from people such as yourself."
This is what i reffered to when you calling you a "stickler", reffering to the cellhphone. Its a stupid rule, well documented to be worthless, and it should be ignored just like so many other stupid and forgotten laws you've got over there.
When did i bring up your upbringing?
The only recent disagreement I see is that I think you should have performed the consensual car search in "Cell Phonies." But, if the comish rules in your favor it really doesn't matter what I think about that case, of course.
I have seen people leave their cars running while smoking a cigarette and talking on the cell phone...all while pumping gas. I always wondered if someday I might actually see some gas station go "poof" because of somebody who couldn't follow the easy directions posted right there on the gas pump. Hmm.....
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